The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure. Accordingly, such statements are not intended to constitute an admission of prior art.
There is a huge market for solar powered lighting systems, especially using high efficiency solid state lighting that reduces the power demand of luminaires. Alternative means of generating on-site renewable power from solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has made this a feasible alternative to grid supplied power for external lighting, such as on roads, in parks, on pathways and in parking lots. In response to this new opportunity for alternative solar power, numerous designs of PV panels and their means of support have been devised, with the current standard being the utilization of large flat panels oriented towards the sun with a zenith angle relative to the vertical earth axis, in a south facing direction (in the northern hemisphere), where the zenith angle is set to an optimal tilt angle that maximizes total annual solar energy produced, as a function of earth's latitude at the location being applied.